Halfa Life
by quishaweasley
Summary: Dash and Danny are forced to partner up for a big project in Lancer's class.
1. Chapter 1

Danny and Dash were sitting in the library working on the english project Lancer had assigned earlier that week. But since neither of them really put too much effort into their school work, they had approximately zero percent done.

And Dash wasn't helping.

He was just sitting there across the table yammering on and on about who knows what. Something about… Paulina's nails? What?

Face sitting in his hand, Danny finally cracked open a book and began scanning the reading to figure out what the project was even supposed to be on, when something Dash said caught his attention.

"-Phantom's ass and-"

Looking up at Dash, Danny gawked before squeaking out a small, "what?"

Dash looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"I said, I was looking at Phantom's ass and-"

Danny lowered his head and started whispering. "Why were you looking at his ass?"

Dash leveled a gaze at Danny that clearly meant he should understand what Dash was talking about. But Danny didn't understand why Dash would be staring at his ass.

"Come on, Fenton. Have you seen the kid? He's hot af. He's got this cute baby face, but he's been putting on some muscle the past couple months. Who wouldn't want that in a guy?"

Danny stared at Dash, ears growing red as the silence went on. Before he could formulate a reply, Dash started speaking again, more hurriedly this time.

"Wait, shit, do you like him too? Is this weird? I think it's weird. Why do girls talk about boys they like together? Wouldn't it-"

Danny cut Dash off with another squeaking reply.

"What? No! I don't like him!"

Danny looked at Dash to see relief flood his features, slumping down in his seat.

"Why? Do you really like him?"

They sat in silence as Dash seemed to contemplate his response, something the boy isn't really known for. When he spoke again, there was a soft wistful tone in his voice.

"I mean… Yeah man. He's out there protecting the town, protecting everyone here. He could be spending his afterlife getting fuckin' wasted on whatever ghost's have or having fun trashing the town like the rest of them but he doesn't."

Dash smiled at the table before continuing.

"He's literally a kid being a superhero. Like have you ever heard him during a fight? He's cracking jokes. He has mad dodging skills. And, oh man, have you ever heard him laugh or seen him smile? We don't see that very often but when we do…" Dash slumps further down in his chair and lets out a happy sigh, eyes filled with feelings for Phantom. For _Danny_. _Who he's telling this all to right now. _

Suddenly Dash let out a groan, and was rubbing his hand over his face and through his hair. Resting his head in his hands he began to speak. "Shit man… He's dead. Why am I so gone for someone who's dead?"

Danny was silent for a moment before speaking. "I mean, does it seem like he's dead?"

Dash lifted his head, eyes squinted to the left of Danny's head. "No. He doesn't seem like the other ghosts really."

"Then maybe there's more to him than being dead. Heh, maybe that's only half-a who he is."

Danny turned back to the book in front of him, oblivious to the squint Dash was sending towards the top of his head.

"Was that a pun?"

Danny looked up, finally seeing the suspicious gaze on Dash's face. Like Danny knew something he wasn't supposed to.

"Uh…"

Dash rested his chin in his hand, a thinking expression joining the squint on his face, before speaking again.

"Halfa. That's a word a lot of the ghosts like to throw around when they talk about him. I don't know why they don't call him Phantom. Everyone knows his name is-"

Dash stops and his eyes go wide. He looks at Danny.

"Phantom. Danny Phantom."

Dash begins turning the brightest shade of red, and _thank heavens and everything above, _Danny's ghost sense goes off and a crash can be heard down the hall from the library.

"Uh." Danny looks at the entrance and back at Dash. "I have to use the bathroom."

He gets up and runs to the door, but before Danny left, he could hear Dash's head thunk on their table, and a soft mumble.

"Danny Fenturd… Is Danny Phanturd?"


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a couple days since _the incident_ in the library and Dash had been doing his best to ignore him. There were no wailings, no taunts. Not even a carrot thrown at him during lunch. A lot of people seemed to notice the shift but no one really questioned it except for Sam and Tucker.

And boy, was that a trip.

When he told them what happened, Sam started mumbling about Danny and his puns while Tucker began making kissy faces at him.

Meanwhile, Danny's been trying to make arrangements with Dash so they could work on their english project. _Which they still had nothing done on._

But everytime Danny tried, Dash would scuttle away through the hallways and disappear around a corner.

Today though, they finally had another work day in the library and Dash was forced to sit awkwardly on the other side of the table.

Dash was trying his darndest to not look at Danny, but it wasn't working at all. Everytime Danny glanced up from his book, his eyes caught Dash's and Dash would jump and look away, trying to be casual.

After the seventh time this happened, Danny groaned and closed his book, rubbing his hand over his face in exasperation.

"Look, Dash. Would you chill out?"

Dash gaped at Danny, mouth flopping like a fish as he tried to comprehend the statement.

"Chill out?" Dash suddenly burst. "Chill out?! How can I chill out after I discovered the kid I wail on is the hero I have a crush on, who I _just told I like?_"

Danny shrugged and opened his book again. "See that right there. That's not chill."

Dash glared him before speaking again.

"How are you this chill anyways? Shouldn't this have been some kind of life altering bullshit? Your worst enemy discovers your greatest secret?"

Danny sighed and closed the book again.

"First off, you're not my worst enemy. Second," Danny continues as Dash opens his mouth to make a retort, "if I can handle Paulina having a creepy shrine in her locker I think i can handle you having genuine, non-creepy feelings for me."

They were silent after that.

After a few moments Dash spoke again.

"So it doesn't bother you that some guy has feelings for you?" Dash asked quietly.

Danny shook his head, looking to the side as he spoke. "Not really. I'm, uh. I'm bi? So I don't really care about that."

There was a beat of silence.

"Does it bother you that it's me?"

Danny looked back at Dash to see him looking down, picking at his nails.

"Honestly, Dash? You're actually a lot nicer when you're not around some of your friends. I mean, that's no excuse. But there are times when you're hanging out with certain people and you're like? Amazing? You help Paulina shop for dresses when no one else wants to go with her. And you're always there for Kwan when he's having a rough day. But the rest of the football team are dicks and so you guys try to fit in."

Dash stared at Danny after he finished speaking, taking in what he said.

"You think I'm amazing?"

Danny's eyes widened and his ears turned red.

Danny opened his book again, mumbling, "Under the perfect circumstances, yes, I suppose you can be amazing _sometimes_."

Dash let out a whoop and raised a fist in the air.

"I'll take it!"

Danny smiled before pushing a book towards Dash. "Okay, now that we've got that figured out can you finally start working on our project?"

Just as Dash started reaching for the book, a crash was heard out in the hallway. A familiar cackle could be heard.

_It was the same ghost from a couple days ago. _

Danny groaned.

"Really? I finally get you to work on something and now a ghost has to interrupt school?"

Danny gets up, pushing the chair back, and starts running to the closet in the library. As he gets there and starts closing the door, a brick mountain shoves his way in, closing the door behind them.

Looking up Danny sees Dash, practically bouncing in excitement.

"Dash, what do you want?" Danny asks, annoyed.

"I wanna see you become Phantom.

Oh.

"_Oh."_

Nothing happens for a moment, but another crash could be heard and Danny closes his eyes.

"I'm goin' ghost." He whispers.

"Pfft, what is that, a battle-"

Dash gets cut off as the white rings appear around Danny's waist, traveling up and over his body, leaving behind Phantom. Danny's eyes open to reveal the bright, glowing green, and they travel over Dash's face, taking in his expression.

"-cry?" Dash squeaks out.

Just as Danny started to move towards the door, Dash reaches out to run a hand through Danny's white hair. A shiver travels down Danny's spine, and their eyes meet, and the rest of the world is gone.

"You glow." Dash says, ruining the moment with an obvious fact.

Danny snorts. "I mean, yeah. I'm a ghost."

Dash turns red and sends him a glare. "I know that! There's just not any trace of that when you're a human."

Danny shrugs. "It helps with keeping up appearances though."

Another crash sounds through the door, closer this time. It sounds like the ghost made its way into the library.

"Shit!"

Danny went intangible, phasing through Dash and the door into the library. As he was taking off, Dash shouted something at him.

"Go get 'em, Phantoenail!"

Danny groaned and shook his head.

Some things may never change.


End file.
